Bitter, Cold and Broken
by coldnbroken
Summary: A bitter mind, a cold heart and a broken soul. Would they make the right decisions as their paths cross once more? Or would they remain the way they were before?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**BPOV**

Pain.

I welcomed it as I curled into my pillow. I held it tightly against my chest trying my best to stifle the pain. My teeth sank into the pillow to muffle the sob that escaped my chest. It was hard to say where the pain was coming from. The burning sensation was shooting in different directions.

I didn't want Charlie to hear me. It was the last thing I wanted. I knew I was one step closer to being shipped to Jacksonville against my will and there was no way I was going to let that happen.

It was too far.

Too sunny.

Too hot.

It would make everything unreal.

_Like he never existed._

I shook the thought away.

I was trying my best to hold on to everything that made all of them real.

That he was real.

Forks made him real.

And I would never leave.

Ever.

It was stupid to be holding on to someone who didn't want me but I couldn't help it. The moments I had with him were my happiest and I would hold on to it for as long as I could. He was the best thing that ever happened to me even though he thought otherwise.

I felt another shot of pain radiate from my chest to the rest of my torso. My eyes shut tightly and I bit my lower lip hard making the scream come out as a whimper.

I tasted blood as soon as I was aware of my body again. I stopped breathing before nausea hit me. I didn't want to walk across the hall to the bathroom just to wash away the blood.

Too risky.

Charlie would get suspicious. Even though he slept like a log throughout the night, he seemed to be aware of my movements. He wakes up easily when it comes to me. One scream, one wrong movement was a one way ticket out of here.

Again, too risky.

So, I did what I had been doing for the past few nights.

I sucked on it. I sucked the blood on my lips until I could no longer taste its coppery taste. My eyes squeezed tightly as I tried to fight the dizziness.

It was very unlike me but since I was desperate, it didn't matter.

I got rid of it without getting up from my bed.

Problem solved.

I listened to the rain as it drizzled outside. The tip-tapping of rain on my window usually lulled me to sleep. But now, it was my only indication that time was actually passing by. Each drop compared to a second. It wasn't accurate but I didn't dare look at the clock. It was just a reminder of another sleepless night.

Sleep was supposed to be my only haven. It was supposed to be my escape from the harsh reality that _he _was gone but that never happened. Ever since that night, I was plagued with nightmares. At first the nightmares were bearable but each night seemed to be worse than the other. The nightmares were always followed by screaming. Of course the screaming got too much at one point that Charlie decided to put his foot down and ordered me to see a shrink. Or worse, go to Renee in Jacksonville. I didn't let that happen of course. I made the nightmares stop from coming every night.

I didn't sleep.

I had to stay here.

I had to.

I can't leave.

And I did whatever I could to stay.

I let the pain cripple me every night.

It was the only way I could stay.

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**So what do you guys think? I know its a short one but there are a _lot_ of clues in this chapter. First chapter will be posted in a few days. Watch out for A/Ns in my profile. Thanks again!**


	2. Bitter Welcome

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight and I never will.**

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**Chapter 1: Bitter Welcome**

EPOV

_Are you okay?_

I almost scoffed out loud at the question. I swallowed the spite that was threatening to come out so I gave Jasper a slight shrug instead and continued to stare outside my window. I heard him hesitate for a few seconds before leaving. I felt guilty for the way I treated him and the others but it was the excuse I used for not talking. All the talking usually led to one thing.

'Okay' was a word I despised. It was one of those modern words that I would never find myself use to describe how I was feeling. I was far from being okay. In fact, I hadn't been 'okay' for a long time. It had been decades since I'd felt 'okay.' Things had never been 'okay' since that day. I brought my knees up close to my chest and put my arms around them.

I gave out a deep sigh.

I was sick of the word. They would always ask 'are you okay?' or say 'things are gonna be okay' but they all knew that I never would be. Never again. Not without her.

"Don't be so hard on him, Edward" Alice said as she knelt down beside me.

_You know he's just concerned about you. He knows very well how hard this is for you... He still blames himself for everything after all this time. _Alice said in her thoughts.

I felt her finger brushed against my hair trying to put the strays on the side.

I shook my head at the thought she directed at me. I turned to look at my sister in the eye.

"It was never his fault. He should know that by now. I never blamed him. It was all me. I should've -"

Alice cut me off as she put a finger on my lips and she shook her head.

"Don't even finish that sentence. There are a lot of should've beens or would've beens Edward but no one can do anything about it anymore. The decisions we make leads us to where we are right now"

"You're right. I -"

"No. I'm not blaming you for any of it and neither should you. Yes, it was a bad decision but that's what it was. A decision. All I'm saying is that there's no point in looking back and contemplate on the "should'ves or would'ves" because even though you can say it a million times, nothing will change. All you can do now is move forward, try making things better and I'm telling you now that ending your existence is not the answer. Do you think Bella would've wanted that?"

I didn't answer her. I didn't know how to. As much as I wanted to "move forward and make things better," I couldn't. Everybody was better off without me. I wrapped my arms tighter around my knees and let my cheek rest on my knee looking away from Alice.

Bella wouldn't have wanted that. She didn't want anyone hurting me but I hurt her in the most brutal way. It didn't matter what everyone else said. It was all my fault. Maybe this was some sort of punishment. I was in my own hell as I walk through purgatory alone. I deserved all this pain and much more after what I put all my love ones into. But knowing I was in pain puts them in pain. If they could only let me go then I wouldn't be holding the down so much. I had already caused my family to break apart once, I didn't want it to happen again. I felt the guilt slowly consume me as I thought of the past years. Why couldn't they understand that I didn't want them to be in any form of pain anymore? Why couldn't they just let me go?

But, was it fair for me to put my family in the same kind of pain? I knew I was hurting them with the way I was but if I left, I would put them in much more pain. It was the only nagging thought in my head that made me agree to come back to Forks. I knew that any plans of leaving where being watched carefully so there was really no point of even trying. Snap decisions don't work anymore. I almost came close once but they still caught me. I was acting like a coward, running away from my problems but I was so confused. What can I do? I don't want my family to be in pain because of me anymore but whatever I do I knew that I would end up hurting them either way.

I sighed again and tried to push the thoughts away.

It had been almost a century but it felt like time didn't really move. Sometimes, I wish I could still hold her, hear her heart beat and smell her beautiful scent. But all I had was a memory of her face, perfectly etched in my mind. The memory of her face wasn't good enough. But I knew what I did. I lost my chance at forever since that day.

"Edward?" Alice called softly.

I turned my head slightly in her direction. The look on her face broke my heart. I felt the pain shoot down my torso as I tried to reign the . If she was able to cry, I knew she would've been crying already.

"I'm sorry" I whispered and reached out an arm for her. She closed the distance between us as she wrapped her arms around me. She shook her head as she held me there.

"Don't be... I miss her too" she said as she moved to look me in the eye.

I closed my eyes and gave her a nod. I couldn't stand to see the pain I'd cause her when she lost her best friend because of me. We held each other for a few more minutes then Alice pulled away.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked.

"I'm not ready yet" I whispered as I shook my head softly.

Alice nodded her head in understanding then she got up. She tapped her chin lightly and gave me a soft smile.

"The weather is good enough for a walk... Or a run" she paused and gave me a look.

"Enjoy" She smiled brightly before leaving me on my own again.

I felt the corner of my lips twitch. It means they were giving me free reign but I also knew that somebody would be there with me in an instant the moment I make my escape.

I sighed.

No, there would be no escaping today.

I was back home.

Well, almost.

* * *

I decided to take up Alice on her suggestion. It was rare for me to go outside the house without someone tagging along. After a few of my escapades, the family decided that somebody must be with me every time I had to go out. That, of course, included hunting. How they managed to watch my every move was beyond me. But, this, this meant that they were starting to trust me again. Something I'd lost over the years. I didn't want to lose it again. Maybe this way, I could lessen their pain.

I ran halfway through and decided to hike the rest of the way. I only had one place to go to. The only place I ever felt at peace.

Our meadow.

It had been decades but a day never passes without me thinking of the memories that the place held. The summer before that dreadful day was the best months of my existence. We spent most of that time in the meadow just talking and holding each other. I just hoped she lived the rest of her life to the fullest and that she forgot the pain that I'd caused her. After all, human memories fade with time, right?

The return to Forks was unavoidable Alice had a vision of Bella's gravestone but she couldn't see it properly. Her name could be seen clearly but the year was blurred out. There was something strange about it but despite the situation, the entire family wanted to say a proper goodbye, including Rosalie. The hostility she felt towards Bella disappeared throughout the years thinking that I finally came to my senses and that it was for everybody's good. And I agreed with her. It was for the best, especially Bella's. I just hoped she found happiness somehow.

I continued to walk at a human pace. I wasn't slow but I wasn't fast either. I took in the familiarity of the place as I walked. I was trying my best not to think of the pain. I had too much of that today already. I wanted to remember the good times for now. Just for a little bit even though I didn't deserve it. The pain was always present but I learned to numb it down for Jasper's sake. He couldn't stand to be near me but he always tried. I could still feel the guilt he felt towards what happened but I told him time and time again that it wasn't his fault. He thought that maybe if he could try to lessen my pain or share my pain that he could lessen that guilt. I was probably too hard on him these past few weeks but I would find a way to make it up to him somehow.

I felt the corner of my lips twitch as I rounded a familiar tree that had fallen down. It was covered in moss just like it had been. I remembered the warmth that was Bella when I had to hold her closely so she wouldn't trip on the "invisible" roots. Just the memory of this place was enough to bring a smile on my face. Was it really right for me to be happy? Even for a short moment? I didn't have any right to be but for the sake of my family. I would. Even for a little bit. After all, I didn't know how long I was going to stay around.

I was enjoying my quiet walk when a familiar scent assaulted my senses. My lips curled back as I inhaled the familiar scent of freesias. The mere memory of her scent was enough for my body to act upon instinct. The scent was so strong that I had the urge to follow it. There was a certain familiarity to it but it was different at the same time.

I ran at a human pace, trying to delay the inevitable. I already know where the scent would lead me but I didn't know what to expect.

My mind was probably playing tricks on me.

My insides were battling with each other. One side was hopeful while the other was being realistic.

I pushed back the monster that was trying to break free. I tried my best to control my instincts as I continued my path. I convinced myself that it was impossible.

Alice saw the gravestone and I saw it in her thoughts. Besides, there weren't any sounds that pointed to any humans in the immediate area and the scent didn't smell human at all. But I could never mistake that scent for anything else. There was a burning sensation in my throat but it wasn't bad as bad as I thought it would be. But the thirst was definitely there. I didn't understand it. Maybe it was just my memory playing tricks on me.

Before I could ponder any more thoughts, I was suddenly there. I stood at the edge of trees as I gazed over the meadow. I was anxious and curious at the same time. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath before walking into the beautiful meadow.

I opened my eyes and I took in the sight of the meadow. It was the same yet so different. It was beautiful. More beautiful than I remembered. It looked like somebody had been taking care of it. The wild flowers were there but planted right in the middle were soft white-colored freesias. It was surrounded by the wild flowers but what was disturbing was the different colored freesias that outlined the entire meadow. They were spread throughout.

Was this a cruel joke?

Somebody _was_ taking care of this place. And whoever it was knew what they were doing.

They were mocking me.

I walked to the group of freesias at the middle of the field. I fell down on my knees as I brushed my fingers lightly on the petals. The strong scent of the flowers made my senses go into overdrive. It was everywhere. I cradled my head in my hands as I felt the familiar pain come back in full force. I closed my eyes in as I got lost in the memories. The happy ones mixed with the painful ones and I took the painful blow each time.

It was a bitter welcome but I knew I had to face it somehow. I let myself continue to suffer in silence before taking a deep breath that forced my muscles to relax. I opened my eyes and stared at the beautiful flower in front of me. I brushed my finger on its petals one more time before I slowly stood up.

There was a sudden shift in the air. The musky scent was so familiar and overpowering that I felt like throwing up. My head whipped at the direction of its source. Standing at the other side of the meadow was none other than Jacob Black.

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**Great cliff hanger, eh? I decided to post early than planned. I know the Prologue was short (but then again, that's why its the prologue) so hopefully this one will catch your attention this time round. Lots of mood swings in the coming chapters! Hopefully, you'll stick around.  
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**BTW, I decided to give a treat to all those who reviewed/will review. I will send you a little snippet from the upcoming chapter. So if you want a little sneak peek, leave a review and let me know what you think about the story so far!**

**Thanks for reading!  
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	3. Visit

**Chapter 2:**** Visit**

**EPOV  
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My mind was reeling as I took in his entire form. His body was more built compared to the last time I had seen him but he looked like he hadn't age at all.

Impossible.

It had been 80 years. There was no way that the boy standing here was the same person. He was probably a descendant. It could explain the similarity but the scent was off somehow. It was strong enough to mask the scent of the freesias in the meadow.

I didn't break my gaze away from him. I tried to pick out his thoughts but his mind was silent.

Impossible.

Only one person's mind was silent to me. And she wasn't here. Did he know that I could read his mind? How?

"Edward Cullen"

The mocking tone in his voice shook me out of my thoughts.

"How do you know that?" I asked guarded. I wasn't sure who this boy was and he sounded like he was the one ordering me around.

"Oh, I know a lot of things about you leech," he said each word with distaste. "I'd been waiting for you for a very long time."

I noticed the emphasis he put on certain words.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"You really don't know? Oh come on, Edward. You should know"

Before I could answer him back, an image of Bella at prom flashed his mind.

_Should I give you more clues, leech?_

My suspicions were right. But how was it that he looked the same as he did almost a century ago? And he knew I could read his mind. So many questions were running through my mind but I decided to keep calm.

"Jacob Black," I said coolly. "I have to say, I'm surprised. You look like you hadn't aged at all. And it's been what? Eighty years?"

_So, he's been counting._

Jacob crossed his arms across his chest. I could feel the hostility rolling off of him in waves. I didn't need Jasper to tell me that.

"Like I said, I'd been waiting for a very long time" he paused and looked around the meadow then smirked.

"So, did you like the addition?" He asked glancing around the meadow with a smirk on his face.

I lost it then. I felt my chest rumble as I moved to attack him but he moved just as fast. Impossible. I was too angry to even think about what just happened. All I saw was red. I had to hit him.

"How dare you lay a hand on this place?" I growled as I tried to hit him but kept missing.  
"How dare you stain the only memory I have of her?"

Jacob's face turned into a scowl . We were at middle of the field when he suddenly stopped. I got caught off guard by his sudden stop that I almost slammed into him. My right arm swung back but before I could even touch him, he grabbed the collar of my shirt.

"Oh, so we're talking about memories now?" he seethed as he roughly let me go.

I stumbled on my back and was about to get up when I was assaulted with different images. There was an image of Bella on the forest floor with a blank look on her face at the middle of the night. She looked so broken and helpless. Another of Bella wearing the same clothes as Charlie laid her on the sofa and the doctor checked up on her. Another image of Bella with the same blank look on her face as she stared outside the window with her knees propped up. Another image of Bella walking towards the school building with her arms wrapped around her stomach as she tried to hold herself together.

All the images had one thing in common. Bella had a blank look on her face. Her eyes were empty and lifeless. It was as if she wasn't there at all. I flinched at the familiarity of the blank gaze.

The images continued and I felt the familiar pain stab me in the chest and then it was shooting in different directions.

"Stop it" my voice was hoarse as it came out but the images continued to assault me.

My body slumped on the ground as I felt the pain consume my body slowly. My body curled into a fetal position as my arms wrapped around my torso.

"Please" I whimpered.

I thought my body was going to shut down as I felt another shot of pain make its way to my upper body. I was on the ground for more than a minute when I suddenly felt a familiar numbing sensation.

"Edward!" A distant voice called out.

The images immediately stopped and I heard Jacob move. The musky scent quickly went away the moment he left. It was like he hadn't been there at all. How did he do that?

_I'm not done with you yet_. He thought bitterly.

Those were his parting words. His mind was blank once again and I didn't hear anything from him anymore.

I gasped out for air as I tried to rid my body of the pain. I breathed in and out heavily and I felt my body release the tension slowly.

"It's alright Jasper. I got it" I said as I heard the rustle of leaves.

I got up slowly and sat up. I still had my arms wrapped around my torso as I slowly gained control of my body.

"Thanks" I said and I looked up to see three pairs of familiar golden eyes looking down at me with concern.

"Hey, are you okay? What happened?" Emmett asked.

I cringed at his choice of words but nodded at him anyway ignoring the second question. They should know. They were with the psychic.

Alice knelt down beside me with a look on her face that if she could cry, she would've been crying.

I didn't expect her reaction though.

She hit my arm.

Hard.

"Ow! Alice! Do you mind?" I whined.

I was already suffering physical pain at the moment and she just had to add to it.

"You had me so worried! You can never do that to me ever again, you hear me? I was so scared" she scolded.

I looked at her and at my two brothers with a confused look on my face.

I thought that she would be worried with my encounter with Jacob Black since I still wasn't sure what just happened.

"I didn't do anything! I didn't even start it!" I reasoned.

"What are you talking about? I saw you running for a while and then you were walking and then you disappeared!" She exclaimed.

"I what?" I asked confused.

"You disappeared Edward! I didn't know what was going on" she wailed.

"Yeah bro. You got us worried. It was a good thing we were ‒" Emmett snapped his mouth shut and looked everywhere but me.

"You were back early?" I asked curious.

Alice glared at Emmett as he squirmed at the glare being sent his way.

"Well, yeah..." His voice drifted.

I gave him a pointed look. He was hiding something. All of them were.

"I think it would be better if we went home first before we say anything" Jasper said.

_And please tell me, what that was before we entered the meadow._ He pleaded in his head.

I nodded to both as I stood up. I held out a hand for Alice to take. The incident with Jacob was at the corner of my mind. I was more curious as to how I suddenly disappeared in Alice's vision.

"How did I just disappear? I mean, I didn't go anywhere else..." I paused as realization hit me.

There was only one person with me during that time.

"Wait... You mean you didn't see it?" I asked in disbelief.

I thought for sure that the reason they came was because they saw me trying to fight with the mutt.

"See what, Edward?" Alice asked curiously.

"Jacob" I said plainly as if that would explain everything.

"Jacob who?"

"Jacob Black"

My siblings looked at each other then back at me as if I'd lost my mind.

"Edward, Jacob Black's dead."

* * *

_**TWO LOCAL KIDS FOUND DEAD**_

_The search for missing local teens, Isabella Swan (19) and Jacob Black (17) ended in tears. Both teens were reported missing three days ago__. The local police had been searching different areas of the woods when they stumbled upon a bloody mess. It seems that animal attacks are at large once again. The bloody scene had been a familiar sight for the past few months. According to investigations, both teens were probably hiking when they encountered the huge animal. Investigators were able to retrieve remains of the victims ripped clothes and hiking gear but their bodies were never recovered. Numerous sightings of huge bears were reported to the local police and they caution everyone to be careful when hiking in the woods. Word of advice: Don't even go there unless the police give the OK to go in the woods. We send our condolences to the families of both victims._

The article was so short that it made the story hard to believe. There was a slightly longer version of the same incident but it was almost the same. There were no hard facts. It looked like the police didn't want to comment or give further information. I didn't blame them. With Charlie being Chief, of course, he wouldn't want to comment. It was his daughter!

I stared at the screen unblinking. The headline on the article was screaming at me. The article had a picture of the bloody scene that the police found. There was yellow tape surrounding it as the investigators studied the site.

Animal attack.

The words echoed in my head.

No. She couldn't have died of an animal attack. She was supposed to live happily. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Maybe it wasn't an animal attack. Maybe it was something else.

Was it possible that Victoria got to her first? Was it the reason why I couldn't find her? I tracked her for years but I couldn't find a trace of her. Given I was not a good tracker but I could run after a scent. I was so stupid. How could I leave her alone knowing there was a vampire after her?

I pinched the bridge of my nose. My mind was reeling with different questions.

Then there was Jacob Black. How was it possible that he was still alive? I knew for a fact that what I saw wasn't an illusion. The guy practically threw me on the ground for crying out loud. I heard the odd pace of his heart beat. And then there was that awful wet dog smell.

I only encountered that scent once before and that was when we made the treaty with the Quileute tribe. Maybe their ability to shift was passed down.

My eyes widened at the revelation and I scanned the article again. The Quileute wolves we encountered almost centuries ago were huge. Was it possible that it was those huge animals that the people saw? They did look like huge bears.

I clenched my fists as I stared at the picture. Maybe Jacob was the animal that killed Bella. Of course! He was trying to cover for himself since the Blacks were close to Chief Swan. He didn't want to be blamed for the murder of the Chief's only daughter so he included himself in the picture.

"That fu‒" I was about to pound my fist on the table when I felt a hand wrap around my wrist.

"Don't you even think about it Edward!" Alice glared at me as she tried to put my hand down.

I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder and I immediately calmed down. I glared at the computer screen one more time before turning around to face my family.

Rosalie's face was contorted in disgust. Actually, the rest of them had their faces in the same way. Although some of them were trying to be subtle about it. I ran a hand through my hair when I suddenly caught a whiff of that dog's smell on me.

"Dude, seriously? What's up with the dog smell?" Emmett asked while his fingers pinched his nose.

"I told you. It was Jacob Black. He was the only one in the meadow at the same time as me" I explained.

I felt the calming waves turn into confusion. Jasper lifted his hand away from my shoulder and put it on his side.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"Jacob Black's not dead. The stench that you're all smelling right now, that's all him" I explained.

"But that's impossible. It's been 80 years" Esme whispered.

"Not entirely" Jasper said while looking at the computer screen.

"They never found the bodies... " He paused to look at me.

_You're blaming him, aren't you? You think he was the one who did it?_ he asked in his thoughts.

I clenched my jaw and looked down.

"It's a possibility. And the most logical one"

"Okay, enough of the silent conversation. What are you talking about?" Emmett demanded.

I sighed and looked up at my family.

"I think it was the dog that killed Bella..." I looked at Carlisle. "You know how huge those wolves are. Why is it that the huge animals were only spotted in Forks? It was him. It's got to be him. Think about it"

Carlisle shook his head.

"You can't just blame somebody for that without having any evidence. Despite the fact that they were together in that trip, we aren't sure if Jacob was a wolf back when it happened. He could've phased later"

_Was it really possible for them to stay that long?_ There were a lot of questions about the wolves running through Carlisle's mind as he contemplated this.

I shook my head.

"No, I'm sure it was him. He was there. What other facts do you need? Charlie doesn't know that Jacob can shift. The dog's using it as a cover. You know how close his father is to Charlie" I pushed.

Why wouldn't they believe me?

"Okay, so let's say that Jacob was the one who did it, then why would he suddenly show up eighty years later? If he was the one who did it, don't you think he would hide himself and never show his face to you knowing what you could do to him?" Carlisle reasoned out.

"I ‒"

I didn't think of that one. Why would he wait for me all these years? Something happened to Bella then that would make him hate me that much.

What happened to her?

I could only think of one thing.

I was right.

It was my fault.

It was the only reason why Jacob would even stick around and wait for me. He wanted to throw in my face that I was the reason behind Bella's death. It didn't matter if it was an animal attack. I wasn't there to protect her.

I felt my body slump to the ground as the images that Jacob had shown me started to cross my mind. I tried to shake them off but they kept coming. The images that he showed me were now permanently etched in my mind. I could feel the pain slowly consume me. It was useless for me to even try and stop it.

I let it take over.

* * *

_I was back in the meadow. It was different this time. Jacob wasn't there but the freesias were now a permanent fixture. Instead of frowning at their presence, I felt myself smile. I knelt down beside one and touched its petals._

_My Bella. _

_Maybe he was right after all. It was the only way to remember her properly. The dog took care of the place for me anyway. _

_How he knew about this place and how much it meant to me, I would never know. But I don't care at the moment. I was feeling oddly at peace. _

_I picked o__ne flower out and brought it to my nose. I inhaled its sweet scent. It was almost the same as my Bella. I felt myself lie down and smile to myself as I got lost in its sweet fragrance._

_I didn't know how long I was lying down when I suddenly felt a numbing sensation. _

_I sat up abruptly and scanned the woods. _

_I know that feeling too well. _

"_No… No…" I heard a voice in the distance cry out._

_There were other voices in the distance and they were gradually getting louder._

"_Edward… Son… Come back to us… Please…"_

_The meadow was slowly fading around me._

"_No! No! No!" I heard someone yell when I realized it was me._

There were flashes of light coming from the distance. I blinked once and the meadow was completely gone. I blinked a few more times as my vision slowly focused. I was in my room with Carlisle hovering over me. He had a small flashlight in his hand and occasionally flashed it in my eyes. After a few more flashes, he stopped content with what he saw and sat beside me. Jasper had his hand on my shoulder again. The numbing sensation was starting to go away. I looked around and realized that I was actually lying down.

"Edward, how are you feeling?" Carlisle asked while he nodded towards Jasper.

Jasper removed his hand away from me and stood by the doorway.

"What happened?" I asked confused.

Carlisle and Jasper exchanged looks.

"It happened again, didn't it?" I asked reading their thoughts.

"Yes" Carlisle sighed. "But it only lasted for a few hours."

"I'm sorry"

This was what I didn't want. I didn't want them to be worrying every time it happened. I knew that it pained them. It was hard for them whenever it happened. Carlisle called it a defensive mechanism. It should really be called being a coward. I lock myself inside my mind whenever the pain got too much. I knew it was taking a toll on Jasper and I didn't want it to add to his guilt list so I made my own way of dealing with the pain. But I found another way now. I knew the needed participant would not hesitate at all. They would all get over it somehow. After all, time heals all wounds.

But I had to do something first.

I sat up slowly and took a deep breath before standing up.

"Whoa… Edward, where are you going?" Jasper asked surprised.

"I'm… I'm going to see her" I whispered.

"Son, I don't think this is the right time to do that" Carlisle said.

"And when is it ever going to be the right time? She's dead! She's been dead since I left!" I shouted.

_And it was my entire fault_. I wanted to add but kept it to myself.

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. I was mad. Not at Carlisle or my family but at myself. I was right. This was my punishment.

I felt calming waves soothe the anger away. I was grateful for Jasper being in the room. I had better control of my emotions when he was around. They didn't deserve my wrath.

"I'm sorry… I just… I have to see her… I have to see it for myself" I said resigned.

"I understand son. Do you want me to go with you?" he asked concerned.

Before I could give him an answer, Alice appeared.

"I'll go with him" she offered. _I'm sorry, Edward. I still don't know why you disappeared in my vision and I don't want it to happen again._

I sighed knowing I won't be left alone again. I gave her a solemn nod and walked towards the front door.

"I want to run if that's okay?" I sounded like a little boy asking for something he could never have.

Alice nodded.

"I think that's a good idea. The cemetery will be closed by the time we get there so a car would be suspicious"

I cringed at the word cemetery. It just made everything more real. I gave her a nod and we were off. I knew I could outrun her but she would know if I would run away. At least she trusted me enough not to bring someone else along.

It wasn't that far of a run. It took about 10 minutes of running with our speed. Alice was right, of course. The gates were already closed by the time we got there. I didn't even notice that night had already fallen.

Had I been out that long?

"Edward" Alice called out. She was a few feet ahead of me already. She was standing in front of a gravestone with a fresh bouquet of wild flowers on it. I made my way towards her knowing which one it was.

_**Isabella Marie Swan**_

_**September 13, 1987 – August 29, 2007**_

_**Beloved daughter and friend**_

_**You will always be in our hearts.**_

It was so simple yet so final. I felt the pain again but I tried to numb it down. I knelt down in front of it and traced her name with my fingers.

"I'm so sorry" I whispered in the air hoping she could hear me.

There were a lot of things I wanted to say but I couldn't say it out loud. Instead of talking, I gave a silent prayer. When I was done, I looked up to see Alice looking at the gravestone solemnly.

"She was almost 20" I said softly as my fingers brushed the date.

I felt Alice move towards me and place an arm around my shoulder.

"Did you know she hated the fact that she was older than me?" I laughed softly and we were quiet once again lost in our own memories. Then, the sobs came.

"Why did it have to be her, Alice? Why?" My voice got muffled as I continued to sob. Alice pulled me closer to her and wrapped her arms around me.

"Shhh… Don't do this anymore, Edward. At least she's in a happy place now" She said calmly.

"You've always wanted her soul to be saved, right? Well, I bet she's watching over us now. Too bad I can't see angels" she said trying to lighten things up.

I tried to laugh but it came out more like a choking sound.

"That would be nice"

"Yes, it would" Alice smiled at me.

"She wouldn't want this for you, you know" She said knowingly.

It was the same statement over and over again. It would never stop. I knew what she meant but I couldn't find it in me to move on. I was missing a huge part of me.

We were consumed in silence again.

"Do you really think she's watching over us?" I asked softly.

"Yeah… I bet she's a lovely angel" Alice stated.

"She would be the most beautiful angel" I stated as I lied down on the grass and stared up at the night sky.

It was cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain soon. I closed my eyes and imagined Bella as an angel. Yes, she would make a lovely beautiful angel. I just hoped that she could somehow forgive me for what I did. Angels do that, right? She would know why I left. She would also know how stupid I was. And she would know how sorry I felt.

I sighed and took a deep breath. My body stiffened as I smelt the same scent from earlier. It was the odd freesia scent again. It was very faint and barely there but it was there nonetheless.

I sat up abruptly and looked around.

The gravestone on the left of Bella's had a bunch of dried flowers. I didn't even looked at whose gravestone it was, I just picked one up and took a whiff of it. It was a completely different scent. Definitely not freesias. I looked around again trying to find its source. There were no other flowers around.

_Edward, what are you looking for?_ Alice asked.

"Don't you smell it, Alice? Freesias. It's very faint but it's definitely there" I explained while continuing to look around the cemetery.

"I don't…" She paused as a vision hit her. "It's going to rain in a few minutes. We should get out of here before it pours on us"

"I'm not gonna leave until I find out what it is Alice" I argued.

"Look, I'm sure whatever it is will come back but for now let's just get out of this rain."

The moment Alice finished her sentence, the rain started to fall down. There was no point in tracking the scent now. It would be washed away in seconds.

"Fine. But we will come back."

"I promise. Now, let's go."

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**Before you ask, **_**NO**_**, Bella is not an angel. But she will definitely make an appearance in the next chapter (not in front of Edward though). You will get a sneak peek of what she's been up to.**

**I made this chapter longer than its original so I hope you guys liked it.**** I know the confrontation between Edward and Jacob is short but don't worry, like Jake promised, he will be back. **

**So, let me know what you guys think. Was the pace too fast? Did it leave you more confused? Am I driving you crazy yet? Let me know! :D Every single one who leaves a review gets a sneak peak of the next chapter.  
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**Thanks for reading!**

**Til next week!**

**PS, Does Edward Cullen curse? ****I'm too lazy to look it up. ****(Random thought)  
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	4. A Typical Day at the Cottage

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I'm just borrowing the characters and letting my imagination run wild. **

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**Chapter 3: A Typical Day at the Cottage**

**Jacob POV**

I was a good distance away from the meadow before I stopped running. I had a good view of the meadow from where I was standing. I watched three pale figures cautiously approach Edward. Apparently, they had been worried about him since he "disappeared." I bit back my amusement as I watched the female hit his arm. It looked like it had a lot of force behind the punch because Edward stumbled back.

I reminded myself that I had to keep my mind blank and my emotions in check as I continued to observe the exchange between the siblings. I couldn't let them know I was near.

"Edward, Jacob Black's dead" I heard the female say.

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked confused.

There was a few seconds of silence before I heard movement again.

"Let's just go home. We'll explain more when we get there" the blonde male said.

Edward didn't argue. I saw him give the meadow one more glance before nodding at his adopted sibling. And with that, the four of them left the meadow.

I waited in the shadows for ten more minutes before going back to the meadow. To say I was surprised when I saw Edward in the meadow was an understatement. I knew he would be back one day. But I was more surprised at the way his siblings treated him. It was clear in their actions that they were being careful around him.

I was lucky to evade three vampires with abilities. It was interesting that the psychic one didn't see me. I guess that explains why they hadn't seen _her_ after all these years.

A smirk left my lips as I remembered the conversation between the siblings. I wonder what Edward was thinking about right now. I wonder how he would react when he finds out "what happened." I knew I had to be prepared though. He would know that the story we released publicly was just a cover story.

I knew that he was going to seek me out soon.

Very soon.

Hmm… I wonder if…

I shook the thoughts away. I had other important things to worry about at the moment. I looked around the meadow and surveyed the damage. It wasn't that bad since we didn't get into a full-blown brawl after all. In fact, it was too easy. Way too easy for my liking. I was disappointed. I was expecting so much more from him. I was curious about the way he reacted though. The way he curled into that fetal position.

It was so familiar…

A howl from the distance shook me out of my thoughts. I rolled my eyes at its timing.

"Alright, alright… I was about to clean up" I muttered to no one in particular.

_I better get this place cleaned up before it rains._ I thought to myself. _If not, it's gonna be messy and someone is gonna be seriously pissed off. _I shuddered at the thought of facing that wrath. _No way in hell_.

I grabbed my tools from its hiding place inside the hollow of a tree and started to work.

It took me about an hour to fix, straighten and clean the meadow from any evidence of what occurred this afternoon. I was able to wash away the unwanted scents from those bloody leeches. I made sure none of their scents will be caught in the air when the wind blows. It was going to rain tonight so I knew the scent will completely be washed away then. I overlooked the meadow and made sure nothing was different.

After making sure that nothing was out of place for the second time, I phased and ran the path that the Cullens used. I had to make sure that their scent on the path wouldn't be caught and that it would be washed away too. With the Cullens back, I knew that they would reinforce the treaty soon.

_Then, there's the _other_ thing I had to deal with._ I had to be ready for that as well.

I sighed to myself. _This is gonna be stressful._ I groaned.

_The Cullens are back?_ Leah screeched.

_Do you mind, Leah?_ I winced at the intensity of her screech but continued to run.

_Sorry… So what are you gonna do then?_ She asked curious.

_I don't know yet. We have to talk about this later especially when they try to reinforce the treaty again. _I stopped running as I was getting near the house then turned around to run in the other direction, towards the border.

_You know what I'm talking about, Jake_. She sighed.

_They can't know yet. Not yet. We have to talk to her first. But we need to have a meeting about this without her suspecting anything. She can't know about them for now either._

_Yeah. That would be a disaster waiting to happen. Alright. I'll go check if I can catch any of their scent on my way. _

_Thanks._

There was a short silence between us before I heard her thoughts again.

_Are you more worried about them? Or her? _She asked worried.

I slowed down as I reached the border. I gazed at Leah's form and then gave her a knowing look.

_Guess I know the answer to that. I promise not to say anything. I'll leave it to you to do the talking. She is your responsibility. _She thought before running in the bushes to phase back.

I huffed in her direction. Of course, my head was going to be on the chopping board.

"I'll see you in the morning Jake." she waved as she jogged away from me.

I gave out a long howl before lying down on the spot that Leah just left.

This was gonna be a long night. I had a lot of things to think about.

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The delicious aroma of bacon, eggs and maple syrup greeted me as soon as I opened the door. I felt my mouth water as the smell wafted through my nostrils.

Hmm…Waffles…

My stomach agreed as it growled loudly. I heard a snort come from the kitchen. I turned at the corner that led towards the kitchen and was greeted by a familiar sight. There was food on the table enough to feed a small army. Leah was already sat at her usual spot on the table, nursing a cup of coffee.

"I gotta say it _almost_ smells good in here" I said crossing my arms across my chest as I leaned on the frame of the doorway to the kitchen. Somebody had to make sure that it was going to be a typical day.

Leah smirked but it was the reaction of the pale girl that I was waiting for. She turned around to face me and raised an eyebrow in my direction. She copied the way I was standing as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

She wrinkled her nose and frowned.

"The only one that reeks here is you, you stupid dog. How many times do I have to tell you not to enter my house all sweaty and smelling like a dog?" She placed her hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes in my direction.

"It's going to reek in here for days!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic Bells. It will wear off" I rolled my eyes at her as I headed for the cupboard. "Besides, I'm not the only that stinks" I wrinkled my nose as I got near her.

Leah shook her head and ignored the two of us. Oh yes, it was a typical day. If only it would stay that way.

Bella pinched the tip of her nose and waved me away.

"Go, dog! Before I drag you out!" She yelled as she snatched my cup away from me and placed it on the kitchen counter.

"Okay, okay… Jeez" I muttered when an idea suddenly came to me.

"I'm sorry, Bells. I really am" I apologized as sincere as I could while giving her my best puppy eyes. She was a huge sucker for that. "And I promise to shower before I go inside your little cottage" I grabbed her hand and held it in between my own hands for effect.

"Look who's pulling the dramatics now" Bella said rolling her eyes. "Fine, I forgive you. And don't insult my house again. Go. Now" she ordered.

See? Easy.

I placed a soft kiss on her cool hand and then slobbered all over it. I felt Bella stiffen but before she could react, I was already out the door laughing like crazy.

"You stupid dog! Don't you dare come back here, you hear me?' She yelled.

I phased and ran away from the cottage as fast as I could. I could imagine the scowl on her face as she yelled the different and very colorful profanities. I couldn't stop laughing as I ran towards La Push. It was a common banter between the two of us in the morning.

_Damn Jake. What did you do this time? I could hear Bella yelling and cursing all the way over here! _Seth thought out loud.

I showed him what I did to piss Bella off and he couldn't stop laughing, which sent me into another round of hysterics.

_I can't believe she fell for that!_ Seth howled in laughter.

_I know! Tell me about it. _I slowed down to a jog as I neared the house the three of us where sharing in La Push. We rarely stayed there but it was where we had all our stuff. Besides, Bella didn't like it when her house smelled like dog.

_I'm just gonna take a quick shower then meet me at the border_. I ordered as I sniffed out the cutoffs that I left in the bushes near my house.

_Oh, so you're gonna use me as a shield now?_ Seth asked. I knew he was rolling his eyes.

_Well, that's what you're here for. To protect your alpha. Anyway, give me twenty minutes. I'll try my best not to reek of dog._

_Sure, if that's even possible!_ Seth exclaimed as he doubled in laughter again.

I rolled my eyes at him and phased back to my human form. I grabbed my cutoffs and put them on as I ran towards the house. A hot shower should be good for me. It might help get rid of the stress that I was about to face.

I had to smile at our banter in the cottage. I didn't usually pull stunts like that but it was needed for what was about to come. The sickly sweet scent was something I had gotten used to over the years. It never really bothered me anymore. I guess it was the reason why I never caught on the Cullens' scent before. It was both a good thing and a bad thing. But they couldn't have been here for too long. None of us saw them near the border.

I was grateful that Leah and Seth decided to stick around. I never told them that they had to stay and both of them were free to leave whenever they wanted. But both of them were adamant to stay since they couldn't find a reason to leave. They kept arguing that they were used to dealing with Bella and they knew how to deal with her in any situation.

Bella had been my responsibility from the very beginning. Leah volunteered to come with me insisting that I couldn't deal with a newborn alone. In some ways, she was right. Bella had been unpredictable from the start. There were so many changes that both of us had to be on guard at all times since Bella stopped sleeping, one of us had to be up with her.

When Bella was changing, Sam knew that we couldn't keep her in Forks anymore. At least, somewhere far from humans. Even he knew that we couldn't get rid of Bella. She had spent a little amount of time hanging out with the pack and the guys were starting to like having her around. We were all aware of the Cullens' diet and it was up to me that Bella would follow it. Natural enemies be damned. We thought it might make a difference if the vampire grew up in the care of the wolves. And it probably did.

The biggest problem we had back then was Charlie. We had to come up with a story as to why Bella couldn't come around anymore. College was the first option we had but we realized that Charlie would want to keep contact with Bella and would notice the difference in her voice. Then there were the options for Bella missing or Bella dying in an accident. It took us a while before we came up with something that nobody, not even Charlie, would question. Billy was the one who came up with the story of an animal attack. It was a common problem and it was something that the authorities wouldn't further investigate. It was a very difficult decision but we had to do it.

I was included in that story only because we knew that Charlie would ask why I wasn't around all the time. My dad understood, of course. It was better that I was dead to the public. No questions asked. Leah's excuse was easy. She was of age to leave and her mother knew of the situation. Because of this, Seth wanted to come too but he was ordered to stay since he was still young. There were a lot of arguments about it but Seth couldn't disobey an order. So he stayed.

We took Bella deep into the heart of the forest. It was the most reasonable place. It was far from humans, and it was rare for any humans to hike. And if there were any, it was easy to deflect them from the place. It was located on neutral ground and not part of either party's territory. So, it was okay for us to be on that part of the forest.

We were lucky enough to find a cottage that would fit the three of us. It was a bit suspicious to be placed in the middle of the forest but it was better than living inside a cave. It took us days to make it habitable but it was worth it.

Leah and I took shifts watching Bella. One of us would go back to the res every few months and update the pack about what was going on. There were days that someone else would join us to help out but it eventually stopped after three years. It was then that Seth joined us. He said that members of the pack had stopped phasing and he didn't want to stop yet so he decided to come to us. "It's too cool to be a wolf!" He said. Neither of us could stop him since he was done with high school. I eventually took in my role as Alpha since it was just the three of us left. Bella's presence wasn't enough for the next few generations to phase. Although we encountered a few kids that were near phasing, they never did.

Bella got easier to deal with by the time Seth joined us but we decided to keep watch anyway. We took shifts watching Bella and guarding the border. We would encounter nomads passing through but most of them didn't give us any trouble. Some who did were dealt with easily.

So we divided the shifts among ourselves. One would watch Bella while another one would watch the border and then the last one can use that time to rest. And then we would shift around again.

My other reason for guarding the border was to watch out for any of the Cullens. I wanted to be the first to know if they were back. There were only a few number of places they could go to considering they liked to interact with the humans. They had to come back to Forks eventually. They did come back after my great grandfather encountered them before.

Bella initial reaction would most probably what I would expect. She would be angry at them. She would lash out a bit but she would get over it somehow. I knew how she felt about them.

Bella's temper was one thing the three of us didn't like to deal with. There was always one of us who would get hurt. We learned over the years that it was better if we were in human form because we wouldn't feel the pain the other one was feeling every time Bella throws a fit (there was no other way to describe it). Fighting with her was useless. None of us wanted to hurt her.

I needed to talk to Bella first about the Cullens. Then I would to talk to the Cullens about Bella but I would give them hell before I would let them know anything about her. It was their fault she changed.

But before all of that, I needed to reinforce the treaty again. It was better I initiate the contact rather than them. I needed to adjust the boundaries for now. I needed Bella to be calm first before she show herself to them.

The steam of the shower covered up the whole bathroom by the time I finished. I was clean and wasn't sweating anymore. I even sprayed some of the aftershave on me just to prove my point. That should please her. It was a joke between the four of us.

My stomach growled loudly as it reminded me that I still hadn't eaten breakfast.

"Ugh… That bitch of a leech. So demanding" I groaned as I realized my dilemma. I was gonna reek again the moment I phase. Although it really wasn't a big deal, I wanted to play nice today. Another idea came into my mind again. There was a huge grin on my face as I grabbed the bottle of aftershave and shoved it in the pocket of my shorts. I got out of the house and made sure that the doors were closed before I headed towards the woods.

I saw Seth sniffing the air a few feet away from me. I already knew what he was thinking. I rolled my eyes in his direction and phased. I took the bottle of aftershave in my mouth securing its place so it wouldn't fall off. I heard his laugh before I saw him.

_I thought I told you to wait for me at the border?_ I rolled my eyes at him again.

_I know but I wanted to see what you were gonna do. _He paused. _You're really taking the aftershave with you?_

Before I could answer him, he guffawed.

_Hey, I didn't take that shower for nothing!_ I said making a point._ Now, let's go before the leech decides not to feed us!_

Seth snorted. _Yeah. Only you._ He let out another laugh.

We took off into the forest with Seth joking every now and then.

_Don't you dare say anything out loud!_ I ordered before we stopped a few feet away from the cottage.

_Yes, alpha!_

I put down the aftershave carefully on the forest floor before phasing back into my human form. I was right in bringing the bottle with me since there was none of it left on me. I sprayed the aftershave on me with much gusto. I heard Seth holding back a laugh before I dropped the empty bottle on the forest floor. I turned around and gave Seth a look to shut up before facing forward again.

Time to get the show on the road.

"Honey! I'm home!" I yelled out as I opened the door.

Bella's eyes widened as she paused mid-breath at the kitchen doorway. She held her breath for a few minutes before talking.

"Holy shit Jacob! What the fuck are you trying to pull? I told you to take a shower! Not shower in aftershave, you moron!" She exclaimed. "Are you trying to kill me with your scent? You know how sensitive my nose is! I could smell you before you even entered the house! You didn't have to spray the whole bottle of aftershave!" Bella continued to rant waving her hand in the air as I just watched her in amusement.

"You should've seen him when he got out of the house! He was so determined to bring the bottle all the way over here!" Seth laughed cutting her mid-rant. He pushed past me and went inside the kitchen.

Traitor.

Leah took a peek at the commotion and raised an eyebrow in my direction. She shook her head and went back inside.

"Well, at least your house isn't gonna smell like dog anymore" I pointed out. "So, can I eat now?"

Bella shook her head then sighed in defeat. "Fine. But open all the windows and doors before you do. The scent is too much for me to take" She paused and sniffed the air. She cringed then looked at me again. "I'm gonna hunt really quick. I can't take the smell"

"Sure sure" I waved her off. "Stay away from the humans!" I joked.

Bella rolled her eyes before running off. I guess it was a good thing I drove her out of the house for a couple hours. I joined the others in the kitchen who were already eating their breakfast. I grabbed a plate and filled it up with waffles, bacon and eggs. I got my cup of coffee then started to eat when Leah brought it up.

"Are you sure it's okay to send her off without anybody?" she asked uneasily.

"Why wouldn't she be? You know she wouldn't do anything stupid" Seth answered.

We both ignored Seth and I answered Leah instead. "She'll be okay. They would be too busy researching. Besides, you know her hunting grounds"

Seth stopped chewing and looked at the two of us. "What are you talking about?" He asked curiously.

I swallowed the food in my mouth before answering him.

"The Cullens are back"

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**A/N: So, how was my Jacob POV? I've never done his POV before**** so let me know what you think. It took me a while to decide which wolves would be involved in the story but the three of them just works out. What happened to Bella will be discussed later in detail (it actually takes the bulk of the story). Anyway, I'm interested to know your theories though, so let me know.**

**I want to thank all the people who reviewed the previous chapter and answering my questions and random thoughts! I also want to thank YOU! Thanks for reading my story. I would love to hear what you think about the story so far. I promise it will go somewhere and it will involve a very angry vampire.**

**PS, I apologize for any grammar mistakes (I know there are some!). I don't have a beta so go figure. ;)**


	5. Unexpected Guest

**A/N: Huge apologies for updating so late. RL had been (literally) sucking the life out of me. I had half of this chapter sitting on my hard drive for a month but I couldn't write anything for a while. Thank the makers of Vampires Suck coz they had me laughing the entire movie and it (finally) pulled me out of my depression which got me writing. Have you seen it? I liked the part when the pack came out. CLASSIC.**

**Anyways, I'm gonna stop rambling and let you read on.**

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**Chapter 4: Unexpected Guest**

**BPOV**

I was miles away from the cottage but I could still smell Jacob's aftershave. I sniffed the sleeve of my shirt and sure enough, the scent was on it. I tried to rub the scent off but I ended up transferring the scent to my skin. I cringed as I breathed in the sickening smell of the stupid aftershave. Rubbing it off was definitely a no-no. I had no intentions of hunting in my underwear while the sun was shining with no thick clouds covering the bright sky. It would be an unwanted exposure waiting to happen. It was highly unlikely for anyone to be hiking on my hunting ground but the extra precaution was a much safer option.

I couldn't believe he sprayed the whole bottle on him. Sure, it wasn't the whole bottle – I wasn't sure how much it was exactly – but it was obviously too much! My poor house! I probably wouldn't be able to breathe in there for days!

Great.

The dog kicked me out of my own house.

I groaned in frustration as I took another deep breath to calm myself. I ignored the aftershave and used my senses to search farther than usual. I let my instincts take control of my body. At this point, I didn't care what I would drain as long as I could get rid of the stupid scent.

After successfully draining two elks, I realized that two hours had already passed. I was mostly chasing my prey the whole time. I wasn't really thirsty but the two elks helped get rid of _some_ of the scent. I ran back towards the cottage and was assaulted by the annoying scent once again. I felt my chest rumble as I took a breath.

"Damn it, Jacob! You better hope the smell goes away tonight or you'll be nothing but a dead carcass tomorrow!" I yelled before slowly approaching the house. "I don't care if Leah and Seth lose their alpha! They're better off without an absolute dickhead for a leader!"

I heard a couple of chuckles inside. I held my breath before heading over to open the door. Apparently, Leah couldn't take it either. She wasn't anywhere near the house as far as I could tell. Well, that or she left to patrol the border. Seth was settled in front of the television playing video games while Jacob was putting away the dishes. At least the dog knew how to do chores.

"You know you love it" Jacob turned around to look at me and wiggled his eyebrows. "Your house smells nice, admit it"

I rolled my eyes and didn't bother to answer him. I sat down on the same couch as Seth and watched him play. I was determined not to talk at all because talking would mean needing to breathe. I had no intentions of breathing inside the house until the smell goes away. The dog will not kick me out of my own house again! If I wasn't used to his practical jokes by now, his head would've been hanging up on top of the fireplace by now. He would pull up shit like this every now and then. He never did the same thing twice. It was always a surprise.

I hated surprises. I scowled at the mere thought of it.

Something warm pulled me out of my thoughts. Jacob's hand grabbed mine and dropped something on my palm. It wasn't wet, which was a good sign. I don't think I could handle another prank today. He removed his hand and I stared at the small round thing.

"A penny for them?" he asked looking up at me.

He was knelt in front of me with a sheepish smile on his face. I tore my gaze away from his face and looked at the television.

Did he really have to be so literal?

"Oh come on Bells! You can't still be mad at me!" I heard him exclaim.

I didn't look in his direction. I knew full well what he was trying to pull. I could imagine his face turning into a pout. This was confirmed by Seth who started snickering silently beside me.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes again. I was about to answer him but caught a whiff the aftershave again. Ugh. He was too close. The scent was overwhelming and was sending my senses into overdrive.

I had to get out of the house. Without any warning, I got up and zoomed out the door. I took huge gulps of air as I tried to ignore Jacob's protests. I could hear him approach me but I stopped him before he even got near me.

"Don't even think about it, Jake. Get rid of that scent before you come near me. And to answer your question, I was thinking about how nice your wolf head would be on top of the fireplace" I snarled playfully in his direction.

"Like that's ever going to happen" He grinned. "So where are you heading off to? I don't want the citizens of Forks to freak out when they see a glittering woman sparkling her way in town"

I huffed and crossed my arms. "I'm going to the meadow, if you must know. I can't exactly go to town since the sun decided to grace us with its presence. I need to clear my senses"

"I don't think it was that bad. Seth said it covered my "wolf odor" and was probably better for you to smell" Jacob argued while doing the quotes with his hands.

"Hey! I didn't say anything! Don't drag me in your conversation" We both chuckled as we heard Seth complain.

"Don't worry, Seth. You're out of the picture!" I yelled back.

"What about me?" Jake asked.

I rolled my eyes at him and faced the other direction. "I have to think about it"

I started to run when I suddenly remembered something. "Tell my babysitter to open all the windows before he follows me!" I shouted knowing that Jacob could hear me well.

"Sure sure" I heard him mutter before I took off running at full speed towards the meadow.

The trees were a blur as I ran. I knew the path towards the meadow so well that I could run back and forth with my eyes closed and not hit a single tree. It was amazing how I could feel the place calling to me, tugging at my chest, pulling me to it every single day. I closed my eyes and let the pull guide me towards only haven I know. The different sounds from the forest were soothing to my ears. I kept running until I caught faint traces of freesias in the air.

I was home.

I opened my eyes and slowed down to a walk. The sun was shining brightly up in the sky, highlighting the center of the meadow. The flowers swayed lightly as a soft breeze blew by. I paused beside a huge tree and hid in the shadows as I gazed at the meadow's beauty.

It was the same as it had been the first time I stepped in it. It was the same as when I woke up in this life. But the freesias were a reminder of what had changed. It was Jake's idea. He said they represented my humanity. Of what I had been. And every time I see them, I would be reminded of who I was and not what I was.

I moved slowly forward until I reached the middle. I took my place beside the soft white-colored freesias and brushed my fingers on its petals. My hard skin looked like glittering diamonds in the bright sunlight. I ignored the pain that shot through my chest.

"Hello" I whispered softly as I continued to brush my fingers on each petal.

There was a sharp tug on my chest all of a sudden. It was the same tug I felt earlier. It was odd. It usually went away the moment I step into the meadow. This one wanted me to keep on going. A knot was starting to form at the bottom of my stomach. I frowned.

Standing up from my position, I started to walk around the meadow. Nothing seemed to be out of order. In fact, I noticed that Jacob did some gardening yesterday. Everything was fine until I caught the scent of seawater and pine. It was faint and was probably washed away by the rain. But it was definitely there. I didn't recognize the scent so I knew it wasn't the same as the ones I encountered a few years ago. I looked at the direction in which the scent went to. My brows furrowed as I realized it was the same direction as the tug I felt. I followed it a bit it but it was overpowered by Jacob's scent. Something was up. I followed it a bit but I realized that Jake's scent was going around the meadow.

_Guess he was just doing his rounds. _I thought to myself.

Soft padded footsteps took me out of my musings. A sandy-colored wolf's head poked out of the trees but didn't come out all the way.

"Hey Seth, do you know anything about this?" I asked him.

He sniffed the air then tilted his head to the right as if in question.

I shook my head and gave him a smile. "Never mind. I'll ask Jake later"

Seth gave me a wolfish grin before disappearing in the forest again. I knew he was nearby but he always gave me space. They all did.

I would've followed the scent but then again I knew Seth was going to follow me and Jake would find out.

Stupid wolf telepathy.

I sat back down beside the freesias but my head kept snapping back to the direction of the scent. After a million times of trying to distract myself, I realized that nothing would change in the next hour.

I picked up a few wild flowers around the meadow. Satisfied with my little bouquet, I brushed the grass that stuck to my shirt. I heard the rustle of leaves and turned to see the youngest wolf looking at me expectantly. I rolled my eyes in his direction and continued to brush off my jeans.

"I'm going to visit Charlie. Let Jacob know that I need to talk to him later… Oh! And you guys could make your own lunch. Thank your gracious alpha for stinking up my house" I smirked.

Seth let out a howl of laughter and gave a nod. Before I could move on, Seth moved in front of me. He lifted his head towards the sun, nudged my hand and whined.

"Do you really think I'd let anyone see me?" I raised an eyebrow at him but he gave out another whine.

I ignored his whining and continued. "Besides you know how Old Bart is" I winked at him.

The wolf finally relented and moved out of my way. I started walking in the direction of the cemetery.

It was the perfect distraction.

I hadn't visited Charlie in weeks.

**EPOV**

I wanted to go outside but the current situation wouldn't allow me to leave the confines of the house. Of all the days for the sun to come out, it decided to come out today and mock me. It didn't help that the sun was shining brightly. There were only a few clouds out in the sky. Someone out there didn't want me to be out of the house today. I huffed in annoyance as I glared at the shining sun. It was too sunny for Forks.

_Stop glaring at the sun, Edward. It won't change anything. _Alice stated.

According to her visions, it wasn't safe to go outside for the day at all. She kept seeing somebody catching us. For all our sakes, we decided to stay indoors for the day and play safe. After all, it wouldn't be too good if the newest family in town – who arrived yesterday- to be leaving so soon. I could already imagine the gossip.

I rolled my eyes in her direction. I wanted to go back to the cemetery and try to track down the scent I caught. Alice claimed to not have caught anything but I was positive it was there. It wouldn't have bothered me if it wasn't the exact same scent I caught on my way to the meadow the day before. I wasn't a good tracker, Victoria was an example of that, but my gut instinct was telling me to follow it. I don't know what I would find but I was adamant to find out.

I decided that I didn't want to stay inside any longer. I could go to the meadow. Nobody knows about that place besides Jacob. I could get a few hours to myself.

_Sorry Edward. I can't let you go there either. I can't see anything._ Alice explained.

Sighing out loud, I was about to run my hand through my hair when I caught sight of my skin. I ended up pulling at my hair instead. This was ridiculous. I couldn't even have a few hours to myself! And I couldn't do anything but stay inside. This was one of the reasons why I hated what I was. It was ridiculous to be stuck inside the house just because the sun was out. I snarled at the sun then went further inside the house. I went inside the living room and sat down on the couch.

The living room table was filled with papers. Printed articles were spread throughout the table. All of it was about the animal attack and the day of the funeral. They were from different sources but Alice pointed out that it would be better if we had different views of the story. There were some facts mentioned on some that wasn't mentioned on the other. We also had copies of the police report when they had gone missing and the animal attack. Jasper had been busy the night before. He managed to get some other reports around that time. Apparently, the chief had a search party out for a week after finding the scene before the case was closed. Charlie didn't want the search to end until they found the bodies. But he knew as well that animal attacks were messy.

My eyes scanned the report. It was almost the same as the articles. They were useless. The only difference was that the report included what occurred before they went missing. Charlie mentioned that Bella rarely hiked, so the notion for her to go hiking was unusual. He allowed it only because it would mean that Bella would be out of the house.

My mind was running with different questions once again. What drove her to go hiking? What did Charlie mean with so that she would go out of the house? It had almost been a year by that time. Surely she had moved on then? I felt myself getting frustrated as more questions filled my mind.

Jasper pulled the paper out of my hand and put it back on the table.

_Stop it. You're frustrating everyone in the room._ He thought.

"If you really want to find that scent, I could come with you and help you find it. Alice said that it would get cloudy later in the afternoon. We could leave the moment the clouds come out" he said.

I nodded in his direction. I was grateful for the calming waves he was sending me. "Thanks"

He gave me a nod and then pulled out a random article from the pile. He played with the edges of the paper before he spoke in his thoughts.

Nobody was paying attention to us. Everybody else was busy doing something else.

_I went back to the meadow last night when you and Alice went to the cemetery. I wanted to see if… _He paused and changed the direction of his thoughts. _You still didn't tell me about what happened in the meadow. The pain..._

"It was nothing. Jacob was just giving me a hard time" I muttered to him. I grabbed a random paper on the pile and focused my mind on it. I didn't want to relive that moment at all. I hadn't told anybody about the images that were revealed to me. It was too painful.

Jasper was quiet for a moment before he started to talk again.

_I believe you. I'm not sure if it was Jacob but all I know is that there was someone else in the meadow when we went to get you. Whoever it was, was trying their best to keep their emotions in check. And… _He hesitated for a few seconds before continuing. _When I went back last night, the meadow looked like nobody had been there at all. _

My head snapped in his direction. "What do you mean?" I gave him a questioning look.

_When you got up from the forest floor, I noticed that there was a disturbance around the area you had been in when we found you which was why I wanted to go back. I wanted to check it out. But when I got back, it was gone. It looked like you hadn't been there at all... I couldn't find your scent either._ He explained staring at the paper closest to him.

I looked at him confused. "Maybe the freesias overpowered my scent? When Jacob left the meadow, the freesias masked his scent right away, like he hadn't been there at all"

"But what about the disturbance? It couldn't have fixed itself on its own" He pointed out. _There was something else…_

"What?" I asked curious.

"I had a hard time going back to the meadow. I couldn't find any of our scents on my way there. All I got was dog stench" He looked at me grimly. "Somebody was covering our scents with their own"

At some point in our conversation, we grabbed the rest of the family's attention. One by one, they went in the living room.

"What are you two talking about?" Carlisle asked as he approached the two of us.

Jasper told them what he discovered when he went back to the meadow. Carlisle was deep in thought.

_Well, __none of it makes any sense at all. Why would someone want to cover your scent?_

"It doesn't. None of this makes any kind of sense at all" I stated. "The only common thing that connects all of this is Jacob. And he is somewhere out there. I have to find him"

"Edward, even if you find Jacob, you have to keep in mind the treaty we have with the wolves." Carlisle pointed out. _You cannot do anything rash and start a war._

In all honesty, I wanted to start one if it meant dealing with the mongrel. It would end all this pain. But then again I couldn't bring that kind of pain to my family.

"You're right. I can't do that" I said resigned. "But I at least have to try to get some answers from him. He's the only one with answers to our questions"

"Then we'll find him. Even if you don't get to ask the questions out loud, I'm sure you'll be able to pick up at least why he was covering our scents" Jasper said.

I didn't acknowledge what he said. I knew what he meant but I knew we would have a hard time if we did it that way. I stared at the paper on the table with the picture of the crime scene. The images that Jacob showed me began to filter my mind but I stopped it before it even started.

"We might not get any answers if we don't ask" I looked at them with a look which earned questioning looks from each member of the family.

_What do you mean?_ Carlisle asked.

"He knows how to block his thoughts from me" I replied.

_Hmm… Interesting. _

"And he knows about Jasper's gift as well… How do you think he knows? What about Alice?" Emmett asked.

"I don't see him" Alice answered.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "You mean to say we won't even know when to expect the dog?"

"No we won't, unless I get –" Alice got cut off by her own vision.

I was pulled into the vision. The family was talking, like we were at the moment, and then we suddenly disappeared.

Alice groaned with frustration as the brief vision ended.

"A blind spot" she finished her previous sentence and looked at me with a grim look on her face.

_He's coming here. You saw how we just disappeared._

"Blind spot?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes. If I try to look for him, I don't see anything at all" Alice explained.

"What did you see in your vision?" Jasper asked.

"I think he's coming here" Alice answered.

Everybody was alarmed at the sudden information. Rosalie started to curse inside her head while Emmett muttered lowly. Carlisle's brows furrowed in concern, Esme looked worried and Jasper remained stoic.

"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked as he looked at Alice first, then at me.

We both nodded.

"Do you know when he's going to come?" Jasper asked calmly.

Alice replayed the vision and then shook her head. It was hard to tell what time it was.

"Soon?" she answered unsure.

"There's no need for us to worry. He probably just wants to talk about the treaty" Carlisle tried to lighten up the somber mood that filled the room.

"But why would he come to our house? Isn't he breaking the treaty if he came to our lands?" Esme asked worried.

"Technically, no. The treaty hadn't been reinforced in years but we follow it nonetheless out of respect" Carlisle answered.

"Then, why should we respect it if he's clearly breaking it? We should just kill the dog before he kills one of us first" Rosalie argued.

"We can't do anything rash, Rosalie. We don't even know how many wolves there are" Carlisle reasoned.

There were a few minutes of silence while Carlisle stood his ground. No war was necessary. We didn't want any casualties on our side.

"Guess we're about to get some answers" Jasper muttered.

_There's two of them. At least, I think so. One's determined while the other seems… Bored and indifferent. Hmm… That's odd._

"He's here?" Rosalie screeched.

We all winced at the frequency of her screech. It was highly immature of her to be throwing a tantrum at a time like this. Carlisle might be right. We didn't need to worry about Jacob's visit. It was unexpected but it was bound to happen. If the dog wanted to deal with somebody, it would be me and me alone.

_Wow. Somebody's excited to see me._ Jacob thought.

_Only you can get a girl that excited, Jacob._ A female voice said nonchalantly. _I'm sitting this one out. I'll stay here while you deal with those… them. I don't want to hear anymore dramatics today._

_Well, thanks for all your help, Leah._ Jacob said.

_You're welcome, dear alpha._ Leah replied appreciatively then lied down on the ground.

"There's two of them" I informed the family and muttered something incoherent but Carlisle caught it.

"What was that?" Carlisle asked.

"They could talk to each other in their heads" I explained.

"Amazing" Carlisle mumbled.

_And that would be the last thing you'll hear, leech._ Jacob retorted. _You know what to do, Lee._ There was something about his tone that made the female one obey.

He was right. I didn't hear anything from the both of them anymore.

"He's outside by the river" I informed the rest of the family.

Jasper sent out reassuring waves before the family started to file out of the house one by one.

_Don't worry, Edward. We'll get some answers somehow. There's something fishy about this whole thing. Esme was right. Why would he want to come here instead of meeting on neutral ground?_ Jasper thought.

"I hope you're right Jasper" I whispered before following him out.

_At least we can now be sure that they're not here to fight. The other one's too bored._ Jasper thought to himself.

**BPOV**

I took my time getting to the cemetery. I didn't want my freshly picked flowers to be ruined. I could hear Seth following me at a good distance. We were both enjoying the rare beautiful day.

I finally came to the break in the trees. I jumped the fence and made my way through the grave markers. I was thankful that Charlie's tombstone was shaded by a huge tree. As I neared Charlie's grave, I noticed that there was a bouquet of flowers right next to his, which was mine.

I paused and narrowed my eyes at the sight of the flowers. Nobody had put flowers on my grave for years. I brushed it off as another thing Jacob had done. He did some gardening yesterday after all. Or it could be a part of his joke. Or he was making amends. With all the jokes he was pulling recently, I wouldn't be surprised.

I shook my head and started walking again. I placed my freshly picked flowers on Charlie's grave. I opened my mouth to say something when I caught a whiff of something familiar.

Different images flashed in my mind. Charlie's house. My bedroom. The loose floorboard. The tickets. The CD. The faint scent of honey, lilac and sunshine on said things.

My nostrils flared as the familiar scent of honey and lilac assaulted my senses. My body trembled as I felt the familiar burn in my chest. I took a deep breath and caught a number of different scents. They were all unfamiliar but I knew who they belonged to. I noticed the scent of seawater and pine was there as well.

The flowers.

The meadow.

The pull.

It all made sense now.

The scents were distinctly vampires. There was no trace of Jacob's scent nearby.

But the meadow…

I felt my body tremble once again. This time I could feel the anger.

He promised me.

He told me I would be the first to know.

"Seth Clearwater!" I yelled.

I was in front of him in a second.

"Did you know about this?" I pointed in the direction of my grave accusingly.

I was seething. I didn't even let Seth answer. I ran to the only place I knew they would be. The only place I hadn't been to in a very long time.

I growled in anger. The trees shook as the sound reverberated throughout the forest.

The Cullens were back.

Jacob Black knew.

And that filthy mutt was covering their scents.

Those thoughts were on constant replay in my head. How could he? He promised me. That stupid dog.

I was seeing red.

Why would he try to hide it from me?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't see Seth lunge for me. The both of us crashed into a huge tree. The old tree groaned and fell down on the forest floor along with the both of us. I was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events that I didn't even notice it was him who crashed into me. I took a snap at his neck but quickly realized Seth was nowhere near me and was already getting a head start. He was limping on his side but he continued to run in the same direction.

My lips curled back and I gave another growl in his direction. I got up and started to run again. I could hear hushed voices somewhere in front of me. I knew Seth had already warned Jacob.

Figures.

Of course.

All of them knew.

That's why Jacob pulled all those stunts earlier today.

He better start running.

"JACOB BLACK! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU HIDING FROM ME?"

* * *

**A/N:**

**So, what is Jake up to? He could've just told Bella from the beginning then he wouldn't be in so much trouble. Tsk tsk. Silly dog. Poor Seth got the first blow.**

**I wasn't sure about Jasper's scent so I just picked a couple from BD. Whaddya think of this chapter? Angry Bella won't be out til next chapter (obviously). Do you think Jake''s gonna lose a limb?**

**I want to apologize once again for taking so long in updating. And sorry for not replying to the reviews. I'll try and give out sneak peeks this time. I am writing the next chapter already. I just hope I keep on writing (and not get stuck on a rut).**

**Please review.**

**Thanks.**


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